Ventilating baseboard grille for use after a flooding

ABSTRACT

A ventilating baseboard grille for use after a flooding has a longitudinal grille and a front element sized to entirely cover the grille such that a backside of the front element comprises attachment means to attach the front element to the grille.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates generally to air circulation grilles butmore particularly to a ventilating baseboard grille for use after aflooding.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

After a flooding or other such disaster such as a fire wherein water isused inside a building, the water can wet the insulating material. Thiscan generate the production of mold which will continue to proliferateeven after the insulation and surroundings are dry.

To prevent this, it is common practice for companies specializing indisaster clean up to cut the bottom part of a wall so as to allow air tocirculate and moisture to evacuate. Typically, in the case of roxulinsulation, the part that was wet has to be removed and replaced withnew one. However, it can be saved if it dries rapidly and became wetfrom clean water, such as from a fireman's hose, for example.

Evidently cutting the bottom of a wall and repairing it afterward can bea costly proposition. Unfortunately there are commercial building orinstitutional buildings, such as science laboratories in some collegeand universities where flooding can occur on more than one occasion. Insuch case, the process of cutting the wall has to be done over and overagain. There has to be a better way to deal with such disaster clean upand repair operations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known devices nowpresent in the prior art, the present invention, which will be describedsubsequently in greater detail, is to provide objects and advantageswhich are:

To provide for a simple and efficient way of preventing wall cuttingafter a flooding.

In order to do so, the invention consists in a longitudinal grille and afront element sized to entirely cover the grille such that a backside ofthe front element comprises attachment means to attach the front elementto the grille.

The ventilating baseboard grille has attachment means complementary tothe attachment means on the front element.

The front element is a full plate module.

The grille has a channel on its backside to accommodate wires, inparticular low voltage wires, Ethernet cables and/or shielded cables.

The ventilating baseboard grille is placed at the lowermost part of awall.

The grille is fixed to wall studs.

There has thus been outlined, rather broadly, the more importantfeatures of the invention in order that the detailed description thereofthat follows may be better understood, and in order that the presentcontribution to the art may be better appreciated. There are additionalfeatures of the invention that will be described hereinafter and whichwill form the subject matter of the claims appended hereto.

In this respect, before explaining at least one embodiment of theinvention in detail, it is to be understood that the invention is notlimited in its application to the details of construction and to thearrangements of the components set forth in the following description orillustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of otherembodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways.Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminologyemployed herein are for the purpose of description and should not beregarded as limiting.

As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception,upon which this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basisfor the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carryingout the several purposes of the present invention. It is important,therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalentconstructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope ofthe present invention.

These together with other objects of the invention, along with thevarious features of novelty which characterize the invention, arepointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming apart of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention,its operating advantages and the specific objects attained by its uses,reference should be made to the accompanying drawings and descriptivematter which contains illustrated preferred embodiment of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 Isometric view of the invention in context with baseboardpartially peeled off.

FIG. 2 Isometric view of the invention in context with baseboardinstalled.

FIGS. 3a-d Front, cutaway, isometric views of the grille and frontelement, and rear view of the front element.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

A ventilating baseboard grille (10) for use after a flooding iscomprised of a longitudinal grille (12) which, when combined with othersuch grilles (12) creates an assembly running along the entire perimeterof the bottom of a wall (14).

In common usage, a front element (15) consisting of a full plate module(16) having a backside (17) equipped with an attachment means (19) suchas magnetic means, hook and pile, adhesive, or even removable mechanicalmeans that allows the eventual installation of a baseboard member (notshown) to be removed from the grille (12) after water damage so as topermit ventilation inside the wall (14).

The grille (12) has complementary attachment means (21) so as to allowthe full plate module (16) to be removably attached thereto. On a newlyconstructed building, the grille (12) is installed directly onto wallstuds (18) using conventional mechanical fasteners known in the art. Apanel (23) making up a portion of a wall (14), such as drywall forexample, is then installed directly above the grille (12) and onto thestuds (18). The baseboard module (16) is installed at the same time asthey are typically installed in new constructions, that is towards theend of construction.

In the case of existing constructions, if it is immediately after adisaster, the wall (14) is cut precisely at the height of the grille(12) for a seamless fit. Or, as a preventive measure, the wall (14) canalso be cut to allow the installation of the grille (12). Additionally,the grille (12) can have a built-in channel (24) to allow wires to runthrough, more specifically low voltage wires such as for speakers andcommunications (ethernet, shielded cable, etc).

As to a further discussion of the manner of usage and operation of thepresent invention, the same should be apparent from the abovedescription. Accordingly, no further discussion relating to the mannerof usage and operation will be provided.

With respect to the above description then, it is to be realized thatthe optimum dimensional relationships for the parts of the invention, toinclude variations in size, materials, shape, form, function and mannerof operation, assembly and use, are deemed readily apparent and obviousto one skilled in the art, and all equivalent relationships to thoseillustrated in the drawings and described in the specification areintended to be encompassed by the present invention.

Therefore, the foregoing is considered as illustrative only of theprinciples of the invention. Further, since numerous modifications andchanges will readily occur to those skilled in the art, it is notdesired to limit the invention to the exact construction and operationshown and described, and accordingly, all suitable modifications andequivalents may be resorted to, falling within the scope of theinvention.

1. A ventilating baseboard grille comprising a longitudinal grille and afront element sized to entirely cover said grille such that a backsideof said front element comprises attachment means to attach said frontelement to said grille.
 2. The ventilating baseboard grille of claim 1comprising attachment means complementary to said attachment means onsaid front element.
 3. The ventilating baseboard grille of claim 1wherein said front element is a full plate module.
 4. The ventilatingbaseboard grille of claim 1 wherein said grille has a channel on itsbackside to accommodate wires, including but not limited to low voltagewires, Ethernet cables, and shielded cables.
 5. The ventilatingbaseboard grille of claim 1 wherein said ventilating baseboard grille isplaced at the lowermost part of a wall.
 6. The ventilating baseboardgrille of claim 1 wherein said grille is fixed to wall studs.